eBay

zenbooksoz · ‎22-01-2019

I have wanted to purchase a couple if itmes off Ebay using a discount code - when I place the article in the cart and go to apply the discount it will not accept it. This has happened multiple times - should I contact ACCC ?

Example 1 Petstock 20% POOLTIME code (apparently current)

Example 2 TV Stand - I ended up purchasing and could not access discount

lyndal1838 · ‎24-01-2019

The pictures in the OP show that the code ended 26/12.

Try using a current code and see if it works.

countessalmirena · ‎24-01-2019

This sort of thing has come up before on these boards, where another eBay member was complaining of an eBay discount voucher not being able to be applied even though the seller's listing referred specifically to particular discount codes. I remember that the situation wasn't really clear until quite a way into the thread, but it was finally cleared up. I've just located that thread - here.

Basically, it comes down to this. Even if the seller does the wrong thing by mentioning eBay discount codes in their listings, eBay is not obliged to honour a discount code which has ended or which isn't valid for that listing under the redemption code's terms and conditions. Just because the seller refers to a redemption code/discount code, either in words or in the listing's image, that does not mean that there is such a redemption code active! It IS misleading, but it's not something you can take to the ACCC in my view. You can however report the seller to eBay if you want.

Quoting a little bit from my previous reply on the previous thread:

❝YET - in spite of that misleading information - those sellers are not obliged to act as some sort of guarantor of eBay's voucher offer. Those sellers should not be doing what they are doing, but the consequences for them - if they are reported to eBay - would include such things as having the offending listings pulled, being given warnings, and so on. The consequences do not include being obliged to sell to buyers for the price less the amount of the eBay voucher code that they mentioned.❞

Your best assurance that there is a valid code is to look at the actual listing. Under the Buy Now or Add to Cart buttons, you would see eBay's reference to any discount. It would look roughly like this:

Take 5% off this item [ Show me how ]

When you click onto the Show me how link, you'll see a pop-up similar to this:

                                                       Item price: AU $569.90
                                                     -AU $28.50
                                                     Your price: AU $541.40

Enter code at checkout to redeem. Hurry, your coupon expires

31/03/19. Terms and conditions apply.

PUSH5

For more details, see Terms and Conditions.

zenbooksoz · ‎24-01-2019

In reply to Lyndal - What happened when you put in the discount code ?

zenbooksoz · ‎24-01-2019

In reply to the countessalmirena - "

Basically, it comes down to this. Even if the seller does the wrong thing by mentioning eBay discount codes in their listings, eBay is not obliged to honour a discount code which has ended or which isn't valid for that listing under the redemption code's terms and conditions. Just because the seller refers to a redemption code/discount code, either in words or in the listing's image, that does not mean that there is such a redemption code active! It IS misleading, but it's not something you can take to the ACCC in my view. You can however report the seller to eBay if you want."

There are two different scenarios at the top of this thread.

1. This was a discount code that was offered (TV Unit) when I was searching through ebay. Ebay endorsed ? not sure.

2. The 2nd Dog Food I was directed from Ebay Home page banner specifically - therefore Ebay endorsed.

One assumes that in at least the 2nd if not both scenarios Ebay (A contrarian veiwpoint) has at least some responsibilty under Australian consumer law ie -

"It makes no difference whether the business intended to mislead you or not. If the overall impression left by a business’s advertisement, promotion, quotation, statement or other representation creates a misleading impression in your mind—such as to the price, value or the quality of any goods and services—then the behaviour is likely to breach the law." ACCC Website

What I was hoping from this forum was that someone may have actually come across this and it may have been due to a technical fault - such as changing the browser used etc For instance it seems Ebay no longer supportts Firefox in some circumstances ie selling templates often don't work and I have to cange to a Chrome.

lyndal1838 · ‎24-01-2019

I did not put in any code. The fact that it had expired was clearly in the listing.

zenbooksoz · ‎24-01-2019

In the original post I clearly showed that I had attempted to purchase using the code within all the terms of agreement and it didn't work.

Here's the picture notice the discount - the discounted price - the amount I had to pay and the date I purchased. I fulfilled all the terms and conditions ... I'm asking whether you tested this advertisement - now. Does the discount code work for you ? That would be more helpful then always pointing fault at me.

If it works for you then it might be something to do with my browser or operating system.

zenbooksoz · ‎24-01-2019

countessalmirena · ‎25-01-2019

The listing has been revised by the seller, probably because it was reported to eBay.

The seller is NOT supposed to put anything about eBay's promotion vouchers/codes in the subtitle. It isn't eBay saying that there is a code PINEAPPLE, etc. It's the seller. Yet the seller wasn't saying that he (the seller) was offering this discount - it was an eBay code. That leads to potentially incorrect information. The seller had clearly included it in the hopes of attracting buyers; it was no doubt a valid promotion at the time that he listed the item (but he still shouldn't have referenced the code and discount because eBay's discount codes/vouchers can be withdrawn early at their discretion, or have their T&Cs changed, and thus not be applicable to the item.

eBay is definitely not going to honour an out-of-date discount code which the seller had no business including on their main image for the listing or in the listing's subtitle.

The seller STILL has some incorrect listings up. Look for instance for "Artiss TV Stand Entertainment Unit Cabinet Lowline Storage Drawer Various Models".

He's using his own 20% off promotion as an automatically applied discount for "Artiss Massage Sofa Chair Recliner Electric Swivel Leather Lounge 8 Point Heated", for instance. However, once you add the item to your cart (I just tried it for the purpose of seeing how his promotion thing worked), you can see that what he's done is simply work out what 20% of the item price is, put that in as the postage price, and then the total price will be the full item price with the equivalent of free postage (or rather, postage included).Given that his item "Electric Massage Chair Full Body Zero Gravity Christmas Gift Shiatsu Heat Foot" has free postage, and indeed most of his items (including most of his other chairs) are listed with free postage, it's obvious that this seller is using his 20% off promotion as a ploy.

digital*ghost · ‎25-01-2019

I think a few people have missed the fact that the TV stand was purchased on the 23rd of December, and that the code you were attempting to apply for a discount was valid until the 26th of December, therefore it should have worked at the time.

I tried the current discount code on an item offered by the same seller as the pet food, and it worked without issue on this account which surprised me as in the past your ebay and PayPal accounts had to be registered under the same email address and i thought that may have been an issue if yours weren't, even though that's not a condition in the T&Cs for this promo. (This eBay account and my PayPal account have different email addresses).

As it worked for me, and you have difficulty with multiple codes, though, while a very small data sample, I'm also assuming it works for most as this is the only (current) post in the forum about it, it would suggest that there may be an issue with your account that is preventing the codes from being applied (and by issue, I don't mean anything caused by you specifically).

You can have multiple accounts, so I would try opening a new one and seeing if the code can be applied that way.

These particular codes, the ones that are exclusive to limited sellers, while offered and facilitated by eBay, are done with the full particpation of the sellers involved - that is, the discount is provided and funded (at least in part) by the sellers themselves, though they wouldn't have any ability to fix the code issues, as they're still just users of the site like everyone else.

zenbooksoz · ‎25-01-2019

Thanks for the detailed answer - certainly seems to be a technical glitch of some kind probably involving my browser / OS. My most recent attempt failed This time for a different reason - interestingly the terms and conditions are incorrect ? see below. Even though it is still being advertised on Ebay's home page.